In a report published earlier this month, the EC claimed mandatory COOL for milk and milk used as an ingredient would put an “additional burden” on regulators.
Instead, voluntary labelling would “be a suitable option without imposing [an] additional burden on the industry and the authorities”, according to the report, which is expected to be passed to European legislators.
Mandatory labelling, however, would help the UK industry showcase its products across Europe and reassure consumers on provenance, said Dairy UK chief executive Dr Judith Bryans.
“COOL should be more than just an option, but a strong recognition of the British dairy industry’s hard work to deliver nutritious and wholesome products to consumers,” Bryans added.
Overwhelming consumer demand
Dairy UK chief executive Dr Judith Bryans:
“We are disappointed to see that the Commission report found that voluntary COOL may be a more suitable option for dairy products than a mandatory system.
“There is obvious consumer demand for clearer information on the country of origin of food products as illustrated by the existing rules for fresh meat within the FIR. It makes sense to take the next step and introduce these requirements for milk and milk used as an ingredient in dairy products.”
There was overwhelming consumer demand for origin labelling for dairy, a Dairy UK spokeswoman told FoodManufacture.co.uk.
“Inadequate labelling is depriving consumers the opportunity to express their preference for products of known provenance,” she claimed.
The organisation, which had backing from the House of Commons’ Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dairy, would continue to lobby Members of the European Parliament for change, she added.
“[But], even if the EU doesn’t wish to pursue COOL on an EU-wide basis, we will ensure it is considered nationally,” the spokeswoman said.
Although consumers were interested in the origin of milk and dairy products, they were reluctant to pay extra for the information, according to the report, which was carried out by an independent consultant on behalf of the EC.
‘Could address some consumer demand’
“The report suggests that the existing options for voluntary labelling could address some consumer demands while retaining flexibility for Member States and food operators,” the EC said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed COOL could be extended to food produced in different counties, regions or towns in the UK.
A DEFRA spokeswoman told FoodManufacture.co.uk’s sister title MeatInfo.co.uk that conversations were at a “very early stage”, but the Scottish government and other parties were keen.
COOL came into force in Europe in April as part of the Food Information for Consumers Regulation. It requires all chilled and frozen meat from sheep, goats, pigs and poultry to be labelled with its country of origin.